Shearer sentenced for inflicting 'extreme violence' on lambs
A New Zealand shearer has been sentenced to community detention after being filmed abusing lambs on multiple farms. The footage, obtained by an animal rights group, led to charges of animal ill-treatment.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding animal welfare standards in the agricultural industry and the role of undercover activism in legal accountability.
A shearer caught on film violently abusing three lambs was at the time of his offending drinking too much as he struggled to cope with the death of his father. <b>By Jimmy Ellingham of </b><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/crime-and-justice/925693/shearer-dylan-manthey-sentenced-for-inflicting-extreme-violence-on-lambs"><b>RNZ</b></a> <i>Warning: This story discusses violence towards sheep which some readers might find distressing.</i> While he was part of a shearing gang working in Canterbury in January 2024, Dylan Manthey was filmed throwing one lamb against a shearing platform, one into swing doors and one over a metre-high fence. The Palmerston North District Court heard on Friday that the video of this was obtained by an animal rights group that passed the footage to the Ministry for Primary Industries, which laid charges. RNZ had previously reported the group was PETA and that other shearers were also facing charges.
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